If you’re preparing to sell your home, there’s always the option to go it alone and be the broker for your own sale. You see it’s a sellers market, selling seems easier than ever, why not take the work into your own hands? Why do 88% of people choose to go with an agent to successfully sell their home? Let’s run through the reasons going with an agent is the tried and true method.
- Real Estate Agents Clinch A Faster Sale
Even if the market is red hot, and the time it takes to sell is way down, for-sale-by-owner sales typically attract fewer offers. Research has found that 46 perent of FSBO sellers don’t market their homes, widely believed to be the reason why there is consistently lower interest when you sell on your own. Putting a “For Sale” sign in your yard often isnt enough, you’ll likely miss out on the benefits of an agent that gets your home out there. In fact, a real estate transaction can involve up to 184 unique steps, which can be expedited with an experienced agent by your side.
There are other factors to consider as well, including quality control of your buyers, which will keep you from going down rabbit holes with buyers that aren’t actually viable. You’ll keep “tourists” out who just want to see a house they’re curious about, which saves you time. Additionally, agents have access to the MLS, which is a great resource not only to search for homes, but to find off-market options as well.
- Commission can also earn you a better sale price
Selling a home is a process that certainly has emotion involved, which can make it difficult to properly set a price that you’re happy with, receive offers, and counter, all with a cool head. Adding in an impartial agent gives you that bird’s eye view of the situation that will ensure the right decision is always made. An agent is a great negotiator, and can be your guide through the ins and outs of the path toward closing. Another service agents tend to bring along is professional presentation along with marketing. Studies show that interior design and staging averages an additonal 20% to the sale price, and their connections can make that service seamless on your timeline.
While an agent won’t just add an extra zero onto your listing price out of nowhere, they can certainly get the price close to where it should be, instead of cutting the price in a panic to ensure a sale, especially if you’re looking for an expedited sale.
- Paperwork Matters – More Than You Know
After you accept an offer, you may think that you can take that breath and relax. However, if you’re going the FSBO route, that is the time when the paperwork will start to flow. Without hyperbole, this paperwork can often take up to a month to complete, and the information in that paperwork is very important to get right. There are hazards and liabilities that you do not want to incur by getting something wrong with the legal side of the sale.
It may seem attractive to go FSBO, but with an agent like me who can get your commission costs to as little as 2%, giving you all the benefits with all of the savings you’re looking for.